Clever, funny ads that promote a clear message in an entertaining way that grabs the viewer’s attention impress me. This animation falls into that category. That the message advances public health makes it that much better.

Warning
This ad portrays – well, graffiti. Further, it’s graffiti with (gasp) sexual content. Consequently, the fluttery of heart, those who grow queasy in the vicinity of the bawdy and the salacious, and the chronologically and developmentally immature may wish to avert their eyes.

Legalistic Translation of Preceding
Warning: This video or group may contain content that is inappropriate for some users, By clicking Play Button, you are agreeing that you are over 18 years of age.

]]>http://allanshowalter.com/2017/08/17/video-moving-graffiti-promotes-aids-awareness/feed/0Leningrad Cowboys and Red Army Choir Cover Lynyrd Skynyrd – Now That’s Entertainmenthttp://allanshowalter.com/2017/08/16/leningrad-cowboys-red-army-choir-cover-lynyrd-skynyrd-now-thats-entertainment/
http://allanshowalter.com/2017/08/16/leningrad-cowboys-red-army-choir-cover-lynyrd-skynyrd-now-thats-entertainment/#respondWed, 16 Aug 2017 13:46:13 +0000http://allanshowalter.com/?p=20884Leningrad Cowboys, Where Have You Been The Last 20 Years? In 1994, the Leningrad Cowboys, a musical group originally formed to play the role of a fictional band1 in Aki Kaurismäki’s 1989 film Leningrad CowboysContinue reading

Leningrad Cowboys, Where Have You Been The Last 20 Years?

In 1994, the Leningrad Cowboys, a musical group originally formed to play the role of a fictional band1 in Aki Kaurismäki’s 1989 film Leningrad Cowboys Go America, performed, with support from 70 members of the Red Army Choir, the Lynyrd Skynyrd classic Sweet Home Alabama at the 11th annual MTV Music Awards held at the Radio City Music Hall in New York. According to Wikipedia, 250 million people worldwide watched the program.

Thankfully, the Lord of Leisure directed me to a video of this unforgettable show.

The Phenomenon That Is The Leningrad Cowboys

Dressed in Eastern Bloc knockoffs of Porter Wagner suits and what their web site identifies as “unicorn hairdos and ½ meter long, sharp-pointed shoes,” the entire troop currently consists of 11 Cowboys and 2 Leningrad Ladies, the latter adorned by megabeehives, the most mini of minidresses, and mesh stockings capable of capturing the heart of any male foolhardy enough to approach them.

The band appeared in two other films, The Leningrad Cowboys Meet Moses and The Total Balalaika Show, which features the Cowboys and the full 160-member Red Army Choir.

They perform in English, covering songs such as Those Were The Days, Thru The Wire, Stairway To Heaven, and tunes from the Beatles, Led Zeppelin, and others as well as performing Russian folk songs and, according to their web site, music referencing “vodka, tractors, rockets, and Genghis Khan.”

Sweet Home Alabama by The Leningrad Cowboys

A fake Finnish band, each member of which has morphed into an hallucinogenic vision of Elvis, singing, with accompaniment by the Red Army Choir, looking, as we say back in the Ozarks, “just happy to be here,” the Lynyrd Skynyrd masterpiece, Sweet Home Alabama – and with no shouted requests for “Free Bird.” Does it get better than this?

Note: Originally posted at July 29, 2008 1HeckOfAGuy.com, a predecessor of AllanShowalter.com

________________________

Wikipedia: The fictional band, however, was made up of members of a real Finnish band, the Sleepy Sleepers, plus some additional people. In the film, they are joined by Nicky Tesco, former lead member of the UK punk rock band, The Members.

For the record, I also missed Woodstock and only picked up on Leonard Cohen 30 years late.

Lt@14 Completes Ranger Training

Back in 2008, Duke of Derm and Princess of Peds forwarded photos commemorating the completion of Army Ranger training by their son, Lt@14.

My working hypothesis is that the helicopter dangling those four individuals was a demonstration of newly learned Ranger skills although I can’t quite shake the suspicion that it could be a United Airlines-funded trial of alternative solutions for overbooked flights. .

Especially hearty congratulations would seem the response on this occasion and are sincerely proffered. I continue to be deeply impressed by the intellectual and physical discipline and the courage Lt@14 has displayed since deciding to pursue a military career.1

I cannot, at the same time, help but be sobered and moved by the realization that the acknowledged reason for these efforts is to prepare my friends’ son, whom I have carried in my arms, to be an effective soldier when deliberately placed in harm’s way. This was brought home by a photo of the Ranger Creed displayed on the left pillar of the entrance to Ranger School.

Recognizing that I volunteered as a Ranger, fully knowing the hazards of my chosen profession, I will always endeavor to uphold the prestige, honor, and high esprit de corps of the Rangers.

Acknowledging the fact that a Ranger is a more elite soldier who arrives at the cutting edge of battle by land, sea, or air, I accept the fact that as a Ranger my country expects me to move farther, faster and fight harder than any other soldier.

The gung ho spirit embedded in those phrases takes on an altogether different, somber cast when one realizes those propositions now govern the life of someone beloved.

On the pillar opposite the Ranger Creed are the another set of phrases which are less dramatic and inspirational but, I contend, perhaps even more impressive than the Ranger Creed.

Robert Rogers and The Ranger Standing Orders

Major Robert Rogers is credited with establishing the first Ranger company. In 1756, he put together a group of deer hunters to fight alongside the British in the French and Indian War.

Rogers used and expanded upon the skills these men already had, “adapting them to the context of war and creating 28 operational rules that included advisements on ambushing, marching formations, prisoner interrogation, retreat, scouting and reconnaissance. These were documented in Rogers’ now-famous Standing Orders for Rangers, and 19 of the orders are in use for the 75th Ranger Regiment.”3

Robert Robers

The genius of Robert Rogers was not only that he made his orders sensible and direct but also that he assembled them into a set of rules that were cohesive, comprehensive, and applicable to all those in the military unit.

They have also withstood the test of time and have been so effective, that many of the operational standards are still in use by Rangers today.

Standing Orders: Rogers’ Rangers

Don’t forget nothing.

Have your musket clean as a whistle, hatchet scoured, 60 rounds powder and ball and be ready to march at a minute’s warning.

When you’re on the march, act the way you would if you was sneaking up on a deer. See the enemy first.

Tell the truth about what you see and what you do. There is an army depending on us for correct information. You can lie all you please when you tell other folks about the Rangers, but don’t never lie to a Ranger or officer.

Don’t never take a chance you don’t have to.

When we’re on the march, we march single file, far enough apart so one shot can’t go through two men.

If we strike swamps or soft ground, we spread out abreast, so it’s hard to track us.

When we march, we keep moving till dark, so as to give the enemy the least possible chance at us.

When we camp, half the party stays awake while the other half sleeps.

If we take prisoners, we keep ’em separate till we have had time to examine them, so they can’t cook up a story between ’em.

Don’t ever march home the same way. Take a different route so you won’t be ambushed.

No matter whether we travel in big parties or little ones, each party has to keep a scout 20 yards ahead, 20 yards on each flank and 20 yards in the rear, so the main body can’t be surprised and wiped out.

Every night you’ll be told where to meet if surrounded by a superior force.

Don’t sit down to eat without posting sentries.

Don’t sleep beyond dawn. Dawn’s when the French and Indians attack.

Don’t cross a river by a regular ford.

If somebody’s trailing you, make a circle, come back onto your own tracks, and ambush the folks that aim to ambush you.

Let the enemy come till he’s almost close enough to touch. Then let him have it and jump out and finish him with your hatchet.

One notes that, with only minor adjustments, these rules could be effectively used not only to lead a fighting force but also to guide, say, a musician’s World Tour, a group of teachers dealing with an obstructive administrator, a medical department’s quest for survival within the jungle of a university medical school, or an individual’s adventures in Internet dating.4

Credit Due Department
The photos used in this post, with the exception of the portrait of Robert Rogers, were taken by either Duke of Derm or Princess of Peds.

Note: Originally posted at Apr 8, 2008 1HeckOfAGuy.com, a predecessor of AllanShowalter.com
________________________

Recognizing that I volunteered as a Ranger, fully knowing the hazards of my chosen profession, I will always endeavor to uphold the prestige, honor, and high esprit de corps of the Rangers.

Acknowledging the fact that a Ranger is a more elite soldier who arrives at the cutting edge of battle by land, sea, or air, I accept the fact that as a Ranger my country expects me to move farther, faster and fight harder than any other soldier.

Never shall I fail my comrades. I will always keep myself mentally alert, physically strong and morally straight and I will shoulder more than my share of the task whatever it may be, one-hundred-percent and then some.

Gallantly will I show the world that I am a specially selected and well-trained soldier. My courtesy to superior officers, neatness of dress and care of equipment shall set the example for others to follow.

Energetically will I meet the enemies of my country. I shall defeat them on the field of battle for I am better trained and will fight with all my might. Surrender is not a Ranger word. I will never leave a fallen comrade to fall into the hands of the enemy and under no circumstances will I ever embarrass my country.

Readily will I display the intestinal fortitude required to fight on to the Ranger objective and complete the mission though I be the lone survivor.

]]>http://allanshowalter.com/2017/08/15/ranger-rules-rule/feed/0That’s “Lieutenant Son” To Youhttp://allanshowalter.com/2017/08/14/thats-lieutenant-son/
http://allanshowalter.com/2017/08/14/thats-lieutenant-son/#respondMon, 14 Aug 2017 12:37:14 +0000http://allanshowalter.com/?p=20882Hooah! Opportunity On 26 May 2007, after a full week of pomp accompanied by an equivalent amount of circumstance,1 John, son of Duke of Derm (seen pinning Lieutenant’s bars on his progeny in the aboveContinue reading

Hooah! Opportunity

On 26 May 2007, after a full week of pomp accompanied by an equivalent amount of circumstance,1 John, son of Duke of Derm (seen pinning Lieutenant’s bars on his progeny in the above photo) and Princess of Peds, graduated from West Point as a Second Lieutenant with a degree in Mechanical Engineering and Military Arts and Science, an altogether impressive accomplishment for a youngster who, in my perception, cannot be older than 14.2

While publishing the story of John’s especially arduous and convoluted path to West Point and the successes he achieved there is tempting and would, I suppose, be gratifying to his proud parents, I suspect John himself might be less taken with seeing them in print. And, given that (1) he and I will be living in the same house next week and (2) I no longer have the capacity to distract him when he’s unhappy by holding him upside down by his ankles, the better part of valor would seem to be deferring this part of the saga.3

Lt At 14 and DrHGuy

I am proud to note my own contribution to John’s success: in the many opportunities I had for interaction with John over more than two decades, I refrained from providing any advice of substance on any topic beyond the observations that many folks who admonish the host to make their cocktail “a light one” will be disappointed if that request is fulfilled as prescribed and that “our product doesn’t stink” does not constitute a compelling marketing strategy.

And in honor of his graduation, I now officially forgive John for his unconscionable behavior during a summer vacation a few years ago when he blithely performed pinch tests on his arm at the dinner table to determine his body fat percentage, which appeared to range from 3 to 5%, in the presence of his somewhat more doughy elders.

The nation can rest secure in the knowledge that no group of warriors, anywhere, surpasses West Point in graduation-hat-hurling.

Hooah! indeed, John.

Credit Due Department: Photos courtesy of Duke of Derm and Princess of Peds.

Note: Originally posted June 5, 2007 at 1HeckOfAGuy.com, a predecessor of AllanShowalter.com
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The song title, “Pomp and Circumstance,” is from Act III of Shakespeare’s Othello:

Farewell the neighing steed, and the shrill trump,
The spirit-stirring drum, the ear-piercing fife,
The royal banner, and all quality,
Pride, pomp, and circumstance of glorious war!

In addition to its use at graduation ceremonies, it has also served as theme music for professional wrestlers, Gorgeous George and “Macho Man” Randy Savage

Whence derives his blogonym, Lt At 14

On the other hand, surely it’s acceptable to include just his Superintendent’s Award and the Award for Best Drill Company in the 4th Regiment in a footnote

]]>http://allanshowalter.com/2017/08/14/thats-lieutenant-son/feed/0Max Neil Joins Army, Fights In WWII, Sees The Pyramids Along The Nilehttp://allanshowalter.com/2017/08/13/max-neil-joins-army-fights-wwii-sees-pyramids-along-nile/
http://allanshowalter.com/2017/08/13/max-neil-joins-army-fights-wwii-sees-pyramids-along-nile/#respondSun, 13 Aug 2017 13:14:54 +0000http://allanshowalter.com/?p=20875R&R In World War II – Egypt A stopover at the Kansas City home of Neil & Irene Ellis generated not only the anticipated food, fellowship, and fun but also the photo atop this postContinue reading

R&R In World War II – Egypt

A stopover at the Kansas City home of Neil & Irene Ellis generated not only the anticipated food, fellowship, and fun but also the photo atop this post

Found among the artifacts of Max Neil (Max, the fellow second from the left, is Neil’s uncle and the designated character of the family), this shot, taken sometime during World War II, features sightseeing GIs posed astride camels and attended by their guides.

There is something fascinating about seeing soldiers- during wartime – at their leisure. The fez-wearing individual in the middle, for example, would serve admirably as a visual definition of the word, “jaunty.”

I’m most intrigued, however, by the prospect of the existence of similar photos. The numbered card at the lower right (showing “10” in this shot) indicates similar pictures were routinely taken of visitors to this scene.

Other soldiers must have availed themselves of the same opportunity to spend a portion of their down time seeing the pyramids and then commemorating the event such a photo.1 That means that across the country, ensconced in shoe boxes, albums, and envelopes stashed in closets and attics, are multitudes of my generation’s fathers and uncles perched on camels looking into a camera at us from the 1940s while taking a break from making the world safe for democracy.

That is somehow a comforting and heartening thought.

Neil Ellis Photos: Neil is great friend who plays a respectable round of golf, identifies unseen birds by their calls, completes the New York Times Friday Crossword in ink, and snaps a heck of a photo. His photos are featured here at AllanShowalter.com and can be found collected at Neil Ellis Photos.

]]>http://allanshowalter.com/2017/08/13/max-neil-joins-army-fights-wwii-sees-pyramids-along-nile/feed/0Read Online (No Cost): Horseman From Trajectory By Richard Russohttp://allanshowalter.com/2017/08/12/read-online-no-cost-horseman-trajectory-richard-russo/
http://allanshowalter.com/2017/08/12/read-online-no-cost-horseman-trajectory-richard-russo/#commentsSat, 12 Aug 2017 13:23:26 +0000http://allanshowalter.com/?p=20873“Hey,” he said, planting a kiss on her forehead. “Just because I wasn’t there doesn’t mean I can’t remember it.” Horseman is the first of four short stories collected in Trajectory by Richard Russo. AllContinue reading

]]>“Hey,” he said, planting a kiss on her
forehead. “Just because I wasn’t there
doesn’t mean I can’t remember it.”

Horseman is the first of four short stories collected in Trajectory by Richard Russo. All four are gems, but Horseman is my favorite (the excerpt above is the key line in that story – according to me), and you can read it online gratis at The Atlantic.